For 1996 Census purposes, the labour force includes people aged 15 years and over who:

work for payment or profit, or as an unpaid helper in a family business, during the week prior to census night;

have a job from which they are on leave or otherwise temporarily absent;

are on strike or stood down temporarily; or

do not have a job but are actively looking for work and available to start work.

The following people are classified as being in the labour force:

employed people (i.e. the first three groups above); and

unemployed (i.e. the last group above).

People aged 15 years and over who are not employed or unemployed are classified as not in the labour force. This includes people who are retired, pensioners and people engaged solely in home duties.

See also Community Development Employment Program (CDEP), Labour Force Status/Status in Employment (LFSP).

Labour Force Status/Status in Employment (LFSP)

This is a derived variable applicable to all people aged 15 years and over. It classifies people as employed, unemployed, or not in the labour force.

In census output, the classification, Labour Force Status/Status in Employment (LFSP) generally includes a sub-classification of employed people into Status in Employment categories Employee, Employer, Own Account Worker and Contributing Family Worker. In the outputs of some other ABS collections, Status in Employment is shown as a separate classification.

Labour Force Status/Status in Employment (LFSP) is derived using responses to questions on full/part-time job (Question 30), job last week (Question 31), hours worked (Question 37), transport to work (Question 38), looking for work (Question 39) and availability to start work (Question 40). The derivation methodology takes into account answers to these questions to derive the most appropriate Labour Force Status.

See also Contributing Family Worker, Employee, Employer, Labour Force, Own Account Worker.

Land Information Centre, Bathurst

Lead agency of the Public Sector Mapping Authorities (PSMA). Contracted by the ABS to print reference maps for clients as required.

Landlord Type (LLDD)

For rented dwellings, this variable provides information on from whom the dwelling is rented. The landlord is classified as a Private Landlord, Real Estate Agent, State/Territory Housing Authority, Community or Co-operative Housing Group, Employer Government, Employer Other, Other. It applies to all households who are renting the dwelling (including caravans etc. in caravan parks) in which they are enumerated on census night.

This variable allows data to be produced for studies of the socioeconomic characteristics of tenants of public authority housing, and for comparisons with tenants in privately owned accommodation to be made.

This variable identifies any languages other than English, spoken at home. The classification contains the languages and groups of languages most likely to be used in Australia.

A question on language has been included in six censuses. The 1921 Census question sought a person's ability to read and write, and listed a choice of responses, two of which related specifically to foreign languages. The language itself was not required to be stated. In 1933 the question asked people who could not read and write in English, but were able to read and write in a foreign language, to state that language. A question on language was not included again until 1976 when people were asked for all languages spoken. In 1981 and 1986, all people were asked if they spoke a language other than English at home and, if so, how well they spoke English. In addition to this, in 1991 and 1996, they have been asked to name the non-English language.

The classification is a hierarchical classification comprising three levels, as well as supplementary codes to the classification. The highest level of the classification is composed of Major Groups (9 groups, allocated 1 digit codes), the second level of Minor Groups (53 groups, allocated 2 digit codes), and the base level units are Languages (251 groups, allocated 4 digit codes).

See also Proficiency in English (ENGP).

Legal Local Government Area

See Local Government Area.

Legal Marital Status

See Married - Registered.

LGA

See Local Government Area.

LIC

See Land Information Centre, Bathurst.

Live Births

See Number of Children Ever Born (TISP).

Local Government Area (LGA)

The Local Government Area (LGA) is a geographic area under the responsibility of an incorporated local government council. The LGAs in Australia collectively cover only a part of Australia. The major areas not covered by LGAs are the large northern parts of South Australia, almost all of the Northern Territory and all of the Australian Capital Territory.

The number of LGAs and their boundaries can change over time. The LGAs applicable to the 1996 Census output are those which existed at 1 July 1996. Their creation and delimitation is the responsibility of the respective State Governments, and are governed by the provisions of State local government Acts.

The types of LGAs in each State are:

New South Wales: Cities, Municipalities and Shires;

Victoria: Cities, Rural cities, Towns, Boroughs and Shires;

Queensland: Cities, Towns and Shires;

South Australia: Cities, Municipalities and District Councils;

Western Australia: Cities, Towns and Shires; and

Northern Territory: Cities, Towns, Shires and CGCs.

Locality

See Urban Centre/Locality.

Location of Dwelling

See Dwelling, Dwelling Location (DLOD).

Location of Spouse (SPLF)

This variable is needed when using data on couples or couple families to identify cases where the spouse is temporarily absent because person level characteristics are not collected for any person temporarily absent.

See also Partner, Temporarily Absent.

Lodger

A person who lives in the rented quarters of a dwelling occupied by another person or family. A lodger is considered more independent than a boarder as there is no sharing of meals with other residents of the dwelling and, therefore, the lodger forms a separate household within the dwelling. He/she is classified as a lone person in the Relationship in Household (RLHP) classification and thus forms a lone person household.

See also Boarder, Lone Person Household.

Lone Parent

A person who has no spouse or partner usually present in the household but who forms a parent-child relationship with at least one dependent or non-dependent child usually resident in the household.

See also Relationship in Household (RLHP).

Lone Person Household

A person who makes provision for his/her own food and other essentials in living, without combining with any other person to form part of a multi-person household. He/she may live in a dwelling on his/her own or shares a dwelling with another individual or family.

Lord Howe Island

This island is part of the Mid-North Coast Statistical Division (SD) of New South Wales.

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